ConNEWticut: New Brewing In The Nutmeg State

The Internet has been buzzing with a bunch of new breweries opening up in Connecticut. Here’s what you need to know about a few of the up-and-comers.

Overshores Brewery of East Haven has a unique spin on their brewing. They are dedicated to Belgian-style brewing, which is a refreshing sight to see against all the super-hoppy IPAs that seem to be so popular in the beer scene right now. So far, I have tried their Belle Fermiere, which is a saison. Super tasty and light, and the bottle conditioning gives it an interesting flavor. The hops are a blend of the noble European varities, as well as American Simcoe, so it gives a nice combination of both continents. Belle Fermiere is already available at a whole bunch of bars and liquor stores across the state, and more styles will be released as the summer goes on.

Black Hog Brewery is opening this summer in Oxford, and is owned by brothers Jason and Tom Sobocinski. Their name may be familiar to cheese-lovers in the New Haven area; they own the restaurant Caseus, which has a great menu and beer list. OmnomCT caught up with the brothers, as well as head brewer Tyler Jones.

Oxford will also be the home to another new brewery. OEC, which stands for Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores (Order of the Eccentric Boilers). OEC comes from the folks at B. United, who distributes some really interesting beers, ciders, and meads, from all over the world. OEC’s grand opening is this Saturday, June 7. Six of their beers will be on tap, and growlers will be available for fills.

A few other new breweries of note:

Duvig opened recently in Branford, and is open to the public Friday-Sunday. Their specialty is easy-drinking, lower-ABV beers. Sounds perfect for long summer days!